Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pavement diamond grinder and in particular to a grinder having a greatly reduced water flow for sawing and for blade cooling and dust control.
Description of the Prior Art
Pavement diamond grinders are well known and used for grinding concrete and asphalt surfaces. The grinding is performed for a variety of purposes, including removing irregularities in the road surface, to provide texture to the surface and to add antiskid properties. Moreover, grinding and grooving may be performed to groove the surface and facilitate water drainage. Grinding, texturing and grooving are used on pavement surfaces including highways, airport runways, bridge decks, industrial plants, stock pens and barns as well as other concrete or asphalt surfaces that may require a particular surface characteristic.
Typically, grinding is performed with diamond tipped blades that grind the concrete or asphalt and are mounted on a rotating arbor. The arbor is typically mounted on an under carriage of the grinder and is power supplied by the grinder. Such grinders typically require large power and great weight to achieve satisfactory grinding of hard materials.
In can be appreciated that the grinding and grooving process creates substantial amounts of debris, which is in the form of concrete dust and particles. In addition, the diamond tip blades generate substantial heat that requires cooling. Water is typically sprayed for cooling as well as dust control and lubrication in conventional grinders. Large amounts of water are currently sprayed at the blades on the arbor. This results in a dust-laden slurry that must be removed from the pavement surface. Suction is used to continually remove debris and water from the pavement in the area where grinding occurs. In some operations, the slurry may be simply left in the ditch on the side of the road. However, regulations now typically prohibit leaving the slurry and the grinding debris in the ditch. Therefore, it is necessary to collect the slurry and haul it elsewhere for disposal. Moreover, the large amount of water must be carried with the grinder and provisions must be made for hauling the slurry away. This requires additional equipment and also raises labor costs.
It can be seen that a new and improved grinder and grinding method are needed that provides for using substantially less water during grinding and that provides for simple and more convenient disposal of grinding byproduct.